BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — Cornelia Huetter of Austria demonstrated exceptional skill and bravery as she clinched victory in the inaugural women’s World Cup downhill event held on the challenging Birds of Prey course Saturday.
Huetter completed the run in a remarkable time of 1 minute and 32.38 seconds, narrowly defeating Italian competitor Sofia Goggia by just 0.16 seconds. Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami secured third place in the competition.
Reaching near 79 mph (126.94 kph), Huetter tackled a course characterized by undulating bumps, technical turns, and steep gradients. As the reigning World Cup downhill champion, she maintained her racing line perfectly, which ultimately was the quickest route to the finish line.
Overcoming her initial apprehensions was instrumental to her success. Huetter shared her feelings: “At the first inspection, I was like, ‘Are you (freaking) kidding me? It’s so deep. What the hell am I doing here?’ I’ve never skied that steep before. All in all, it was amazing.”
Meanwhile, Goggia made a triumphant return to the slopes, finishing second. She had been sidelined since February, when she suffered a severe leg injury while training for the giant slalom. At that time, she was leading the downhill standings, only to watch Huetter claim the discipline title on the last day of the season.
Reflecting on her comeback, Goggia said, “This summer, I was really close to quitting. It would’ve been so perfect to win today. But I wasn’t so perfect in the bottom. I’m really happy with my comeback. I had a good race, but I think I skied 80% of my potential.”
American skier Lauren Macuga distinguished herself as the top American finisher, placing fourth, 0.52 seconds behind Huetter’s winning pace. The 22-year-old expressed her excitement, saying, “I kept looking at the scoreboard and I’m like, ‘Wow, my name is up there.’ I knew I could ski this well. It’s just a matter of putting it out there. It’s such a rewarding feeling to come down and know I was able to accomplish that.”
Throughout the week, athletes have been acclimating themselves to the new downhill course. The men have been racing on the Birds of Prey slope for years, but this marked a significant moment for women, who had not previously competed on the full-length downhill course. They had only experienced part of it during a re-scheduled super-G event in 2011, which was won by Lindsey Vonn.
On Saturday, Vonn took on the role of a forerunner, testing the course prior to the racers’ runs. The 40-year-old ski icon, who recently announced her return to competitive skiing with plans to participate in super-G events next weekend in St. Moritz, Switzerland, shared her excitement: “I think this is the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen for a forerunner in my life. I got a cheer as if I was racing.”
